Expertise

Biography

As a Hydrologist with the New Jersey Water Science Center, my primary research focus has been on surface-water statistics. I've worked on projects to compute low-flow and flood frequency statistics at gaging stations and partial record sites and to develop regional regression equations used to estimate low- flow and flood frequency statistics at ungaged sites. I've developed the StreamStats web application for New Jersey, which allows users to calculate basin characteristics, peak-flow and low-flow estimates for a selected drainage basin. I am a member of the USGS StreamStats Advisory Committee. I am currently working on creating flood inundation maps for stream reaches with known flooding issues in New Jersey. The mapping process uses HEC-RAS surface water models and GIS analysis tools to map the aerial extent and depth of flooding in the stream reaches.

U.S. Geological Survey, New Jersey Water Science Center, Hydrologist, January 2002- present

June 2016-current: Flood inundation mapping for Louisiana Water Science Center. Project lead for flood mapping using high-water marks from the flood events in Louisiana, March, 2016 and August, 2016. Creation and review of inundation maps for 13 river reaches throughout Louisiana. Co-author on report documenting the flood data including figures displaying the inundation extent.

February 2016- current: Western States Low Flow Study. Precipitation and snowpack data collection.

January 2016-March 2016: Co-author on report documenting the flooding in Central and Southeastern United States during December 2015 and January 2016. Compiled the main table with peak flow statistics for USGS streamflow-gaging stations ranking in the top 5 peaks from the flood event.

November 2015-January 2016: Flood inundation mapping for South Carolina Water Science Center. Flood mapping using high-water marks from the flood event in South Carolina October 1-5, 2015. Creation and review of inundation maps for 20 river reaches throughout South Carolina. Co-author on report documenting the flood data including figures displaying the inundation extent.

July 2013 to present: Project Chief: Methodology to derive hydrography from LiDAR digital elevation model data for the Raritan HUC-8 basin in New Jersey. This project has been funded as a pilot study by the National Geospatial Program. The objective of this project is to develop methodology to derive local-resolution hydrography from a LiDAR-derived digital elevation model. The LiDAR data will help improve locational accuracy of the hydrography and create a more precise stream network dataset. The project outcome will provide a methodology for NGP NHD to derive accurate large-scale hydrographic data from LiDAR datasets. Methodology from this study will be shared with other Water Science Centers.

March 2010 to August 2014: Project Chief- Estimation of selected monthly low-flow ecological indices at ungaged sites on streams in New Jersey. Developing techniques for estimating low-flow statistics for ungaged sites under both undeveloped and current conditions of land use on streams in New Jersey. The statistics for which values will be calculated are: 25th percentile, median, and 75th percentile of minimum daily flows, by month, monthly 7Q10, monthly Q75, Q85, Q90, Q99, August and Sept. Q75, August and Sept. Q90, and August and Sept. Q99. Using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methods for the analysis.

February 2010 to present: Current Project Chief- Passaic River Basin flood inundation mapping study. Using existing HEC-RAS surface water models and GIS analysis tools, we have been able to map out areas of flood inundation for three locations on the Saddle River, Peckman River, and Hohokus Brook, New Jersey. The products of this project are static maps for 0.5- or 1-foot increments of stage level at the USGS streamflow-gaging stations and a Scientific Investigations Map report. The data is served on the USGS and National Weather Service Flood Inundation map applications on the Web.

I am a member of the Northeast Flood Science Team. I’ve also developed the metadata template for USGS flood inundation projects to use for the GIS data.

March 2007-June 2010: Project Chief- Methodology for estimation of flood magnitude and frequency for New Jersey streams. Developed regional peak discharge relations for ungaged drainage basins in New Jersey by evaluating the stream gage data collected from the cooperative New Jersey gage network. The specific study included development of regional peak discharge equations for non-tidal streams in New Jersey that are not heavily regulated by reservoirs for the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100- and 500-year recurrence intervals for five regions in the State. Used Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and statistical methods for the analysis.

February 2006- 2011: Project Chief-StreamStats Web Development project. This effort entailed preprocessing and preparation of the NHD (National Hydrologic Dataset), HUC14, and NED (National Elevation Data) datasets for implementation in the National StreamStats web page for the State of New Jersey. ArcInfo, Spatial Analyst, and ArcHydro tools were used to calculated channel slope (10/85), channel length, basin shape index, percent land use, and population density. Work with flow accumulation grids, flow direction grids, was useful in setting up basin delineation routines.

January 2004- June 2009: GIS specialist for the Pinelands project. GIS analysis along with RockWorks to process water level data, GPR data, and log data to determine thicknesses and tops of underlying aquifers and confining units. Used ArcInfo and Spatial Analyst to determine percent sand content in the underlying units. Another product of this project was a shared Access database linked to GIS using an ArcMap file, creating a dynamic link between the database and GIS.

February 2002- September 2005: Project Chief-Streamflow characteristics project. Trend tests on high and low-flow data and rainfall data using Kendall’s Tau. Use of MOVE1 correlations for low-flow data analysis.

Member of the StreamStats Advisory Committee and Northeast Region Flood Science Team.

Experience using GPR (Ground Penetrating Radar) equipment as well as the data processing and interpretation using GroundVision software.

Experience with various map making for figures in reports, displays, and analysis. Developed a GIS metadata template for documenting geospatial datasets.

South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida, May 1999- December 2001

U.S. Geological Survey, Pennsylvania Water Science Center, Hydrologic Technician, March 1997- June 1998

Bridge Scour assessment project; included surveying of bridge and stream channel geometry through the use of a Total Station. Geomorphic site assessment and GPS data collection. Supervision and training of new interns. Quality review of data for report preparation.Download CV

Flooding occurred in the central and southeastern United States during December 2015 and January 2016. The flooding was the result of more than 20 inches of rain falling in a 19 day period from December 12 to December 31, 2015. U.S. Geological Survey streamgages recorded 23 peaks of record during the subsequent flooding, with a total of 172...

Holmes, R.R., Jr., Watson, K.M., and Harris, T.E., 2016, Preliminary peak stage and streamflow data at selected U.S. Geological Survey streamgages for flooding in the central and southeastern United States during December 2015 and January 2016: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2016–1092, 27 p., http://dx.doi.org/10.3133/ofr20161092.

Heavy rainfall occurred across South Carolina during October 1–5, 2015, as a result of an upper atmospheric low-pressure system that funneled tropical moisture from Hurricane Joaquin into the State. The storm caused major flooding in the central and coastal parts of South Carolina. Almost 27 inches of rain fell near Mount Pleasant in...

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 6-mile reach of the Hohokus Brook in New Jersey from White's Lake Dam in Waldwick Borough, through Ho-Ho-Kus Borough to Grove Street in the Village of Ridgewood were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. The flood inundation maps,...

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 5.4-mile reach of the Saddle River in New Jersey from Hollywood Avenue in Ho-Ho-Kus Borough downstream through the Village of Ridgewood and Paramus Borough to the confluence with Hohokus Brook in the Village of Ridgewood were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey...

Regional regression equations were developed for estimating monthly flow-duration and monthly low-flow frequency statistics for ungaged streams in Coastal Plain and non-coastal regions of New Jersey for baseline and current land- and water-use conditions. The equations were developed to estimate 87 different streamflow statistics, which include...

Intense rainfall from Hurricane Irene during August 27–30, 2011, inundated streams throughout New Jersey resulting in peak streamflows exceeding the 100-year recurrence interval at many streamgages and causing heavy property and road damage. The rain event affected the entire State. Some notably affected areas were the Passaic and Hackensack...

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 4.1-mile reach of the Saddle River from 0.6 miles downstream from the New Jersey-New York State boundary in Upper Saddle River Borough to 0.2 miles downstream from the East Allendale Road bridge in Saddle River Borough, New Jersey, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New...

Digital flood-inundation maps for a 2.75-mile reach of the Saddle River from 0.2 mile upstream from the Interstate 80 bridge in Rochelle Park to 1.5 miles downstream from the U.S. Route 46 bridge in Lodi, New Jersey, were created by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in cooperation with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP...

Methodologies were developed for estimating flood magnitudes at the 2-, 5-, 10-, 25-, 50-, 100-, and 500-year recurrence intervals for unregulated or slightly regulated streams in New Jersey. Regression equations that incorporate basin characteristics were developed to estimate flood magnitude and frequency for streams throughout the State by use...

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the New Jersey Pinelands Commission, began a multi-phase hydrologic investigation in 2004 to characterize the hydrologic system supporting the aquatic and wetland communities of the New Jersey Pinelands area (Pinelands). The Pinelands is an ecologically diverse area in the southern New Jersey Coastal...

Streamflow statistics were computed for 111 continuous-record streamflow-gaging stations with 20 or more years of continuous record and for 500 low-flow partial-record stations, including 66 gaging stations with less than 20 years of continuous record. Daily mean streamflow data from water year 1897 through water year 2001 were used for the...

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with other Federal, State, and local agencies, operates and maintains a variety of surface-water data-collection networks throughout the State of New Jersey. The networks include streamflow-gaging stations, low-flow sites, crest-stage gages, tide gages, tidal creststage gages, and water-quality...